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Sunday, June 22, 2003

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Western Pennsylvania Tennis League will begin its season this week with 16 teams and nearly 800 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18 representing communities throughout the district.

The matches will be every Friday afternoon, culminating Aug. 4 in a playoff between the top two teams.

"The league brings all different groups of people together in what once used to be a country club sport," said Whitney Snyder, the tennis pro at Butler Country Club who has been involved in the event for the past 16 years.

"This is a melting pot for kids to come together in an innocent format with no pressures because college scholarships are not on the line and regional and national rankings are not on the line. This is a very healthy tennis environment that's very refreshing because it's not a cutthroat atmosphere."

Each team is composed of a junior-varsity squad for kids 8 to 13 and a varsity squad for players 14 to 18. There are eight singles and four doubles matches each week between the varsity teams and the junior-varsity teams from the clubs. The combined results of both competitions will determine the winner.

"The real serious high school players are playing in statewide and regional tournaments," Snyder said. "These kids are probably the advanced intermediate kids who have more of an interest in playing for a team rather than for individual ranking."

The defending team champion is Edgeworth Club in Sewickley.

Snyder and Butler Country Club will host the West Penn Mixed Doubles Championship for the eighth consecutive year in July. He has invited the 16 teams from the West Penn Tennis League and 19 other organizations to send players.

"We want to get every possible type kid playing tennis," he said. "This is a reward for the kids."

The top boy and girl from the club's varsity will form a team along with the top boy and girl from the junior varsity.

"The older kids will be cheering for the younger kids, and the younger kids will be cheering for the older kids," Snyder said. "It's a very high-energy environment and builds camaraderie on the team."

The tournament will be televised on a tape-delay basis in the northern portion of Western Pennsylvania by Armstrong Cable, and there will be an outdoor cookout, prizes and awards, and a disc jockey to keep things hopping.

Oldies and goodies

Approximately 175 men and women between the ages of 50 and 80 from 20 states and the District of Columbia competed in the 12th annual Wheeling-Oglebay Senior Open, a USTA Category 2 tournament at Oglebay, W.Va. The age-group results:

MEN'S 50 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Gary Schwartz def. John Davis, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3; Gerry Cannon-Glenn Rader def. John Davis-Vince Weichert, 7-5, 6-1.

MEN'S 55 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Wayne Randolph def. Jay Leistner, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3; Len Fechter-Dave Shenefelt def. Greg Berkley-Skip Tatala, 6-1, 6-2.

MEN'S 60 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Lou Monte def. Len Fechter, 6-3, 7-5; John Rensch-Robert Watson def. Leon Kennedy-Paul Saunder, 6-4, 6-2.

MEN'S 65 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Robert Shaver def. Nick Makarenko, 7-5, 7-5; J.B. Hayes-D. Stevenson def. Jim Shakespeare-Makarenko, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5.

MEN'S 70 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Norman Fitz def. Joe Russell, 6-4, 6-4; Clyde Barker-Herb Bascome def. Livingston Taylor-Fitz, 6-2, 7-6(4).

MEN'S 75 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Ed Adams def. Jack Dorsey, 6-2, 6-2; Len Bunge-Adams def. Bob Reade-Ken Volk, 6-0, 6-1.

MEN'S 80 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Joel Arnold def. Dick Blakinger, 7-5, 6-2; Dan Miller-Bill Parsons def. Frits Dumpel-Jerry Thompson, 6-3, 6-0.

WOMEN'S 55 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Lesley Pixley def. Brenda Neurell, 6-1, 6-2; Robbie Dimond-Pixley def. Ann Harris-Alexis Schunck, 6-2, 6-1.

WOMEN'S 65 SINGLES AND DOUBLES: Brenda Neurell def. Mary Kibbey, 6-0, 6-1; June Connerat-Fay Martin def. Jackie McGinnis-Louise Russ, 6-4, 6-3.

WOMEN'S 70 SINGLES: Louise Russ def. June Connerat, 6-1, 6-2.

What's happening

Wheeling Oglebay will host one of the largest junior-ranking tournaments in the district for age-group singles and doubles competition for boys and girls ages 10 through 18. The entry deadline is tomorrow. Call 304-243-4040. Singles entries cost $25 and doubles $30 per team.

There still are openings in the West Virginia Open at Oglebay, July 23-27, for age-group competition from 35 through 65 for men, and 35 through 45 for women. There also will be doubles and mixed doubles. For more information, call 304-243-4040.